They’re called Natasha dolls.
An alarming new trend is happening behind China’s “Great Firewall,” with critics accusing Natasha Doll owners of turning humiliation into content. The company markets the Natasha Doll, designed to look like a Black baby, as a stress toy in China and encourages people to stretch, squeeze, and abuse it.
Videos show Chinese social media users brutalizing the dolls for entertainment. Users slam them against walls, stomp on them, and inject them with liquids. One Chinese news outlet reported on videos of “Natasha giving birth.” In these clips, users cut open the doll’s stomach and pull out a smaller doll.
OkayAfrica, a digital media outlet covering African culture and politics, dug deeper into the trend. Content creator ZeeBee recently reported that one social media user defended the color of the doll by saying a white baby “doesn’t have the same ugly vibe.” The person added, “The white one looks more human-like… and it feels more depressing, so it won’t sell as well.”
The offensive trend does not stop online. Shalom M. (Shalom Esene), of OkayAfrica, highlighted how this violence has seeped into the real world. Videos have emerged of Chinese citizens acting aggressively toward Black infants, with entire channels dedicated to this content. In a June 3 Instagram Reel, the outlet included clips showing Black children crying or trying to flee Chinese adults.
According to a 2023 Human Rights Watch study, the Chinese government often turns a blind eye to anti-Black content because it’s popular and profitable. China’s sophisticated censorship system largely cuts the Chinese digital landscape off from the global internet. The upshot: the controversial trend remains largely unknown to U.S. audiences.
Even some experts in China are sounding the alarm. Chinanews.com, a state-controlled news outlet, said psychologists and educators worry about the toy’s negative mental health impact.
The article stated that repeated exposure could normalize aggression, especially since children struggle to separate entertainment from inappropriate behavior. However, the state-controlled report ignored the blatant anti-Black racism.
The doll actually comes in various skin tones, including white, but only the Black doll has gained notoriety. Multiple manufacturers in China have jumped on the trend, making it difficult to trace the original manufacturer. For now, concerned viewers want to raise awareness. As ZeeBee put it, “I hope this makes you as angry as it makes us.”
